One of the Girls
by GF-221b
Summary: One-shots revolving around Ernst being one of the girls. Ernst/Hanschen, Anna/Martha, eventual Ilse/Georg, unrequited Melchior/Moritz, one-sided Melchior/Ernst. COMPLETE.
1. One of the Girls

A/N: This is what I do when I get writer's block for NCIS. Spring Awakening, anyone?

~*~

Ernst had become one of the girls. It was a strange phenomenon, but ever since Wendla's death, the girls needed someone else to chat with. Ernst was the better candidate, because he was… well… the way he was. Martha, Anna, and Ilse loved to just come over when Ernst was studying and talk to him about certain things. Love was one of them. Moritz was a favorite for Ilse.

"Even though he's dead… I can sometimes feel him… especially when I'm near your school."

Melchior loved to watch as Ernst talked and laughed with the girls. But as he watched, he remembered Moritz. He mostly thought about Moritz these days. Wendla crossed his mind once in a long while, but Moritz? He knew Moritz, and, god forbid, he might have loved Moritz more than Wendla, if it was possible.

Ernst loved another boy. Grant it, Hanschen never spoke about Ernst in front of the other boys, but somehow, Melchior knew that those two were getting closer as a couple. Melchior wished that Moritz hadn't killed himself. He had wished that he gotten there sooner, or that Moritx had followed Ilse.

_I can feel him, too_, Melchior thought as he watched today's girl session.

"How about you and Hanschen?" Anna asked, giggling.

What was it about girls and their liking of two boys being considered a couple?

But then again, Melchior thought it would be nice of two of those girls were considered a couple. He watched as Anna slipped a hand over Martha's and grinned. He wasn't far off.

"We're… we're fine," Ernst replied, a blush creeping onto his face.

Melchior thought the younger boy was so cute right now. Where that thought had come from, he had no idea. If Hanschen had heard his thought… but he hadn't, thank god.

"You're so lucky, Ernst," Martha sighed.

"Why is that, Martha?" Ernst asked.

"Well… I don't really know. You're parents seem to accept you, even though your seeing Hanschen. If my parents knew that Martha and I weren't just friends… they'd probably disown me…" Anna replied.

"Your parents?" Ernst cried out. Anna's parents were like his. They would accept their child for who she was. It was Martha's parents Ernst was most worried about.

"Martha's been living with me for a month now, Ernst… how can I tell them we're a couple?" Anna asked.

"You just do…" Ernst replied quietly, folding the edge of the page down in his book and lying it on the grass.

He is so cute… Melchior thought. A younger version of Moritz, perhaps. Since Moritz's death, Ernst HAD moved to the bottom of the class…

Ernst hugged Anna and Martha, "You two… you need to just tell your parents. Actually, Martha, you can do without it, but Anna… definitely. Your parents were kind enough to almost adopt Martha from that terrible home… so I'm sure they will accept you both for who you are and how you feel for each other…"

_He is so good to them_… Melchior thought. He stood and returned quietly to his house, unsatisfied with the feelings he was beginning to feel for the young boy. Hanschen would so kill him if he tried anything, though.


	2. Memory of Night

A/N: This is what I get for dabbling into the inner lives of one-shots. Connected somewhat with 'One of the Girls.'

~*~

How did he know that Hanschen and Ernst had kissed in the vineyard? He had often walked there, feeling the memories of that night, how like his first night alone with Wendla was. The imprint, the very feeling, of Ernst's small body clinging to Hanschen was enough to fill Melchior with a strange satisfaction.

He walked on, back to his house, passing the little spot where Ernst and the girls often perched to talk and read stories to each other. He knew they did this to get their minds off all the sadness.

Martha and Anna were in love with each other. How nice for them to find love amongst all the sadness. Ilse often thought about Moritz, but not so much now that she was slowly falling for Georg. Melchior thought about Moritz always. He was just on his way back from the graveyard.

And Hanschen and Ernst. You could tell how sweet and pure that relationship was, even if Melchior often saw them crashing out of closets before class started. Melchior shook his head had the memories. He wished it had come to that with him and Moritz. He didn't care now if it might have cost him heartbreak at Ilse's hand of Moritz would still be alive. At least he could potentially break up the two…

It was too sad to think of him still being here, and Moritz… somewhere else. Somewhere far.

Melchior saw someone sitting on his porch as he approached his house. It was Ernst.

"Hello, Ernst," Melchior said, smiling.

"Hello, Melchi. You wanted to see me?"

It had been a few months since anyone had called him that. His heart lurched.

"I just wanted to… talk…" Melchior said, feeling his charm turning on. He knew the smaller boy liked boys.

"About what?" Ernst asked. The innocent little one didn't know what was happening.

"Life… Love…" Melchior said.

"I've seen you watching me and the girls, Melchi. They talk about me and Hanschen and ask me advice about it… surely you've heard all you need to know about love…" Ernst replied, almost coldly.

"Yes. But are you happy, Ernst…" Melchior asked.

Ernst seemed taken aback, "I am perfectly happy with Hanschen! And those girls? We've become almost like sisters this past month! I am happier than I've been in—"

Melchior didn't want to hear the younger male's voice pitch any higher, and leaned down to kiss him.

"Melchior!? Ernst?!" a voice yelled from the bottom of the porch steps.

Ernst broke away quickly to yell, "Hanschen!"

He stood up and ran down the steps into the aforementioned boy's arms.

"Melchior…" Hanschen said in a low tone. The other boy smiled as he looked down at Ernst and Hanschen.

"I'm sorry, Hanschen," Melchior said slowly, still grinning, "I got carried away…"

"I know you miss Moritz, Melchior, but taking those unused passions out on Ernst is not the way to express them. Go find Otto… or do it by yourself…" Hanschen said. He gave a Cheshire Cat grin to out shine Melchior's, and lead Ernst down the road and back to Ernst's house.

_Oh… Moritz…_ Melchior thought, and laughed as he opened his door and walked inside.


	3. The Letter Book

A/N: Yet another 'one-shot' about Melchior and his unrequited love for Moritz. One day I'll focus on Hanschen and Ersnt… one of these days…

~*~

They missed Wendla so much. So much that Ernst gave up one of his notebooks so that they could circulate it around the small group to write her letters. Then Ilse asked them if she could write a little something to Moritz. They knew that she had been wanting to set herself free so that she could finally tell Georg about her growing feelings for him.

Melchior again watched them with the other boys. He wasn't allowed alone ever since the night he had kissed Ernst. Hanschen wouldn't allow it, much less Georg or Otto, who had heard all about it.

"They're so wonderful with each other," Otto sighed, "Especially the young lovers."

He had meant Martha and Anna, who were even now leaning against each other as they read Ilse's letter to Moritz. Hanschen looked up as Ernst finally took the notebook and, catching the boys' eyes, began to read aloud:

"_Dear Moritz,_

_I am writing this to remember you, and to forget you, so that I might move on. The night you were to kill yourself was the night I should have stayed with you, to nurse you back to health. I know that if I had, that you might still be here with us, and if that might be, that I could tell you this in person._

_Someone loves you more than me. I know this now, from listening to stories told by Ernst about this person. This person has used my dear friend because he has lost you, and I find that not fair._

_Were you so sad that you could not push through and see that you might have been happy? That what you needed was right in front of you? _

_Pushing passed these questions, I tell you my own goodbye. I love you, Moritz, but I must move on. With all my love, Ilse._"

Ernst looked up and caught only Melchior's eye. He looked back at Ilse and smiled, allowing her to kiss his cheek. As she was doing so, she looked behind her and saw Melchior and the boys. Melchior wasn't sure if it was he or Georg she winked to, but she did just that: a subtle wink.

Later, as the girls were getting up, Ilse walked slowly up to Georg and they began to talk, Ilse curling her long black hair around her finger. Melchior took his time as he sauntered up to Ernst. Hanschen watched from a respectful distance, regarding their meeting, and noticing that Anna and Martha would not leave the young boy's side. He nodded at Martha, who returned the nod as Melchior finally approached them.

"I would like to borrow that notebook of yours," he told all three.

Ernst looked first to Anna, then Martha, then handed him the book.

Melchior took it home and opened to the next blank page. He thought maybe he would write to both Wendla and Moritz. His letter to Wendla was short: "_Wendla, everyday I miss you. I wish desire had not gotten the best of us, yet I also wish you would have told me sooner, so that we might have run away. I miss you, and in a way, I love you. Melchior._"

But he could not find anything to say to Moritz. He poured over his ideas that night, blowing off an English exercise and studying for a Latin test to do so.

When he gave the notebook to Martha the next day, he reached his friends with a heavy heart. Georg was smiling as Ilse and him parted so that Ilse might join her friends under that same tree they always met under, and he might join his own friends on the green grass.

Martha gave Ernst the book, whispering into his ear. He opened to the page and read first Melchior's letter to Wendla aloud. The girls nodded as the letter ended. Then Ernst began to read Melchior's letter to Moritz,

"_Moritz, words cannot tell you how much I miss you. I could go on and on about how much I wish you were still alive, all the terrible things I have done since you left me all alone. But I can't. There are no words but these: I miss you. I love you. I want you back with me and only me. Sometimes I lie in bed at night and wonder what it would have been like to hold you like I held Wendla that night in the barn._

_I walk pass the spot where Hanschen and Ernst once shared a moment and wonder what it would be like if it were us that once shared something special in a vineyard, or an orchard, or a pasture of wild flowers, under the stars, during twilight… whatever._

_I admit I projected these feelings on our younger classmate, Ernst. It was wrong of me to think that just because of some similarities you two were one in the same. You weren't. He is here, and you are… well… Somewhere I can reach, but will not for a long time, I hope. I let you go now, but I will not forget your friendship and how much you meant to me. How much you still mean to me. I love you, and I think now I can move on… and not to someone else's partner. Love always, Melchior._"

Melchior breathed out slowly as Ernst's silver voice finished off the letter. He seemed satisfied with the tears glistening in the girls' eyes, as well as the simply shocked stares his friends gave him when Ernst finished.

As he lay back in the bright afternoon sun, he heard a breeze blow through the leaves above him, and he heard a soft whisper, _I love you too, Melchi… meet me in heaven and maybe your wishes will be answered… but not yet…_

~*~

A strangely satisfying ending. And now lemme go cry over it…

Aeron Ailsa


End file.
